The men’s and women’s cricket qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are scheduled for January and February 2028, while the World Test Championship (WTC) final will be held in England from June 8 to 12, 2029, according to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) updated global events calendar.
The calendar, shared with ICC member boards following meetings in Dubai in October, includes 12 men’s, seven women’s, and five Under-19 events scheduled between the 2027 and 2031 ODI World Cups. The cricket qualifiers for the Olympics, originally planned for 2027, have been postponed to early 2028, less than six months ahead of the Games. Cricket will return to the Olympic programme for the first time since 1904.
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Earlier in the year, the ICC had outlined the qualification structure for the six-team men’s and women’s Olympic competitions and has now updated the criteria for the United States’ direct entry in the women’s event as hosts. In the women’s category, Australia, India, South Africa, and Great Britain have qualified by virtue of being the highest-ranked eligible teams from their continents, based on their performances at the T20 World Cup earlier in 2023.
For the men’s event, the top-ranked eligible teams
For the men’s event, the top-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, according to ICC T20I rankings as of December 31, 2026, will obtain direct qualification. The United States are eligible to participate in both events as hosts, contingent on meeting the ICC’s ranking criteria.
The US men’s team is currently ranked 13th and is on track to meet the requirement of being ranked in the top 15 during the qualification period from June 30 to December 31, 2026. However, the US women’s team, presently ranked 19th, faces the risk of missing direct qualification under the updated criteria.
The ICC previously stated that if the US women’s team failed to satisfy the ranking requirement, an additional automatic qualification place would be awarded to the highest-ranked eligible team outside the existing qualifiers, based on the T20I rankings as of March 1, 2027. The revised criteria, however, link this additional berth to the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, to be held in India in February 2027.
If the host (USA) does not meet
“If the host (USA) does not meet the ranking criteria by 31 Dec 2026, that spot is reallocated based on the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 standings (cut-off 1 March 2027),” the ICC stated in its communication to member boards.
Venues for the men’s and women’s Olympic qualifiers have yet to be finalised. Each tournament will include eight teams, comprising the seven highest-ranked sides outside the automatic qualifiers and the winner of the Caribbean Regional Qualifier.
The ICC calendar also confirms that the women’s and men’s T20 World Cups in 2028 will be conducted consecutively, with an 11-day interval between the two tournaments. The 12-team Women’s T20 World Cup in Pakistan is scheduled from September 7 to October 1, while the 20-team Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, will take place from October 12 to November 12.
Additionally, the ICC has shifted the 2030 Men’s
Additionally, the ICC has shifted the 2030 Men’s T20 World Cup window from June to July-August. England, Ireland, and Scotland are set to host the 20-team event.
Several major events were previously allocated to host nations by the ICC in 2021, with the latest calendar providing dates for additional tournaments as the governing body continues to finalise its international schedule through 2031.
Source: thenewsmill.com
